d6r xw series2 vs 850j lgp

[tj_farmer]

narrowed it down to two pretty nice units. ive run a d6r xl and liked it quite a bit. i have never ran a 850j. anyone that has run both, please compare the pros and cons.....both have high hours at 9-10k hours...going to be used for treeline removal, waterway work, dry dams, and will pull my tile plow with a big counterweight hanging on the frt blade.
cat dealer is 30 min.away, deere is about an hour away for construction......

 

[bigshow]

The company I work for has a handful of the xw tractors among others as well. There is just something about the xw package that just straight up gets work done. While not quite as "sticky" as an l.g.p., with it's heavy blade and narrower tracks you can still manage a 2:1 sideways, it just slides a bit. For pushing power and trimming abilities it is a unit that can't be beat. I do not know the spec's on an xw but they must have more horsepower than standard and xl arrangements. I have run 850c's with a wxlt package, but I don't think it would compare the an r, maybe an n. I have seen videos on youtube with a j kicking a 6rlgp's butt, but I have outpushed 6's with a 3c, all boils down to the hand that feeds it? It was set up for severe slope work without the additional cost of running those chain twisting roller eating lgp pads. An l.g.p. And an xw are really not in the "same" category so it boils down to your basic needs.

 

[bigshow]

Me personally, Based on your needs I would go with the cat, closer parts basically. I am not biased either way, I haven't ran a j series Deere, I have ran c's and h's, so I cannot directly compare the two, but I do know that a 6R xw is one tough tractor. When you're working slopes with a track off the ground and the tractor is still pushing you know you got a good one, talking about the R, either way, Good luck.

 

[Davvinciman]

It sounds like you're going to be using it daily and it's just my opinion but Cat has always made the better machine with parts readily available and just built with a little better steel than the Deere's. In the long run, you will have a machine that you can rebuild and it will still be a good usable rig that will produce on daily basis. The tracks seem to wear slightly faster than the Deere's but the balance set up with X-tracks are a better set up, again, in my opinion. I used to think the advatage to Deere was the parts were cheaper than Cats....until I owned one. IMHO, definitely Cat.

 

[tj_farmer]

thanks guys, my xwII showed up to go look at it, at my local guy. the trackframes are cracked out around the pivot shafts on both sides/ each side. never seen a d6r do that. i cant seem to catch a break. is this more common then i think?
i have never ran a 6h series 2 , how much of a step backwards is it? found a couple d6h series 2 lgp's, i might go look at.

 

[LonestarCobra]

Thats not uncommon on a 6R. Cat had a PSP on them years ago. It involved repairing the cracks and adding some inner and outer plates. I have repaired a dozen or so of them like that.

 

[tj_farmer]

thanks, are the plates horseshoe shaped around the pivot shaft and 1.5-2 inch wide? its got them on the inside and out of each side. its cracking from the top to down the inside of the prob 1.5 or 2 inch wide raised piece that circles the pivot shaft. i tried to load a pic but the size pixels is too wide and tall. im not sure how to resize them easy.

 

[farm_boy]

Have you looked at the Deere? What condition is it in? I've never seen an 850J with the track frame cracked out.

 

[Davvinciman]

thanks guys, my xwII showed up to go look at it, at my local guy. the trackframes are cracked out around the pivot shafts on both sides/ each side. never seen a d6r do that. i cant seem to catch a break. is this more common then i think?
i have never ran a 6h series 2 , how much of a step backwards is it? found a couple d6h series 2 lgp's, i might go look at.

Wow! I'm wondering what kind of abuse it had to go through for that to happen. I looked at a D4H once that had a similar problem. The hours were very high (about 18,000) and the equalizer bar bearings had never been replaced. I figured the slop on the hardbar was letting the frame rails flex too much on the shaft.
I have never let anyone who ever worked for me run in third gear reverse WFO without getting their butt chewed. And if you were to constantly work in very hard material or rock, it would have a worse chance of holding up, too. That is the problem with buying used. You never know how the person who owned it before you took care of it.

 

[Richardjw~]

. the trackframes are cracked out around the pivot shafts on both sides/ each side.

excuse the "dull" question, but can someone post a photo of the pivot shaft area just so I can clearly understand where these cracks are.....just for interest's sake.

thanks

 

[Old Magnet]

excuse the "dull" question, but can someone post a photo of the pivot shaft area just so I can clearly understand where these cracks are.....just for interest's sake.

thanks

Check the picture in this earlier post:

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?26298-D6N-pivot-shaft

 

[Richardjw~]

thanks Old Magnet, much appreciated

 

[Nige]

There is an official repair procedure for that area. I sent it to Quicktrax for the D6 where he posted the photo on the other thread

I wouldn't let that stop me buying a machine with cracks in that area. I would just adjust the purchase price to reflect the cost of fixing it. The fix is fairly simple so long as you have the resources of a professional to handle the welding.